Laura Bethge

President of Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean

Search every verified Laura Bethge interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises, has emphasized the company's focus on innovation across both its ocean and river cruise products. In May 2025, she stated that the top decks of river ships are "ripe for innovation" and that guests should expect the "same level of innovation on the river as on the ocean." She also discussed the brand's investment in "next generation connectivity and more immersive destination experiences," which she said aim to blur the line between ship and shore. Bethge noted that the company signed for a sixth Edge-class ship, Excel 2, after a slot became available, and that it carries over seven new places and spaces from the previous ship. She described the brand campaign "Nothing Comes Close" as being inspired by feedback from agents and crew. Bethge has also highlighted the importance of the UK market, calling it "fundamentally our core market" and "our absolutely number one largest international market." She said the company is receiving "a ton of support" from UK travel agents and that Celebrity Apex in Southampton is "doing exceptionally well." She noted that the company is "dreaming about what comes next" as its Millennium class ships approach 30 years old and that it is planning to modernize its Solstice class ships during dry docks. Bethge also discussed the company's sustainability efforts, stating that Celebrity is "on the path to Net Zero" and that a new ship will be equipped with a tri-fuel engine capable of burning green methanol, though she noted the supply of that fuel is not yet sufficient for the entire fleet.